Entrance connector for a container



Aug. 23, 1955 I. F. MATTHYSSE ENTRANCE CONNECTOR FOR A CONTAINER FiledJuly 19, 1950 MN Wm M IN VEN TOR. Irving l'rederickl lattbpse BY M iugwf ATTO NE'Y United States Patent par;

ENTRANCE CGNNECTOR FOR A CONTAINER Irving Frederick Mattliysse, NewYork, N. Y., assignor to Burndy Engineering Company, Inc., a corporationof New York Application July 19, 1950, Serial No. 174,710

1 Claim. (Cl. 174-152) My invention relates to electrical connectors fora container, and more particularly to an entrance connector for asubmersible transformer that will function as a means to seal thetransformer and to form an electrical connection thereto.

In the past electrical transformers were sealed and tested at thefactory and shipped to the field for installation. In order to connectthe transformer into a circuit, it was necessary for the maintenance orconstruction crew to break the seal to join the cable to an internalconnector. The procedure necessitated a retesting of the transformer. Inaddition in order to provide a watertight connection the use of leadsheathed cables were required and the watertight joint was effected bywiping the lead on the cable to a wiping sleeve.

It is therefore a primary object of my invention to provide anelectrical entrance connector for a container, such as a transformerwhich connector may be installed at the factory and which will provide aseal for the container.

Another object is to provide an electrical entrance connector for asealed container which can be internally connected at the factory andwhich has an external means to permit making an electrical connectionwithout the necessity of entering the container and thereby breaking theseal.

A further object of my invention is to provide a sealed connection to acontainer in which non-leaded cables can be used therewith.

Further objects are to provide an electrical connector which willdecrease the time required to install a e submersible transformer; andto provide a connector which is of a simple and economical construction.

I accomplish these and other objects and obtain my new results as willbe apparent from the device described in the following specification,particularly pointed out in the claim, and illustrated in theaccompanying drawing, in which- Fig. 1 is an elevation view, partiallyin section of the electrical connector embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a cross-section view, taken along plane 2-2 of Fig. 1.

In the drawing reference character designates generally my novelelectrical connector shown mounted to the casing wall 11 of a sealedcontainer, such as a submersible transformer. The connector 10 comprisesa centrally positioned metal rod 12 of conducting material, such ascopper, which is mounted within an insulating sleeve 13, preferably ofDiaprene. The insulating sleeve 13 is centrally positioned on the rod 12to permit the ends 14 and 15 of the rod to extend therefrom for apurpose herein described. A circular collar 16 is longitudinally boredat 17 to receive the insulating sleeve 13, and is provided with anannular neck portion 18 and shoulder 18a mounted in a correspondingcircular aperture 19 in the casing wall 11. The collar 16 may be weldedat 20 and 21, or otherwise secured to each side of the casing wall 11,to provide a watertight connection. On the outer side of the transformerwall the collar 16 has a threaded recess 22 with an internal shoulder 23to accommodate a tight fitting resilient insulating washer 24 whichextends around the sleeve 13, and similarly to sleeve 13, may also bemade of Diaprene. A clamping nut 25 loosely encloses sleeve 13 and isthreadedly received within the recess 22. The nut 25 functions whentightened to compress the insulating washer 24 against the shoulder 23,and to the longitudinal wall of recess 22, and into tight contact withthe sleeve 13 which is pressed into engagement with the rod 12 to insurea watertight joint. A flat metal washer 26 may be positioned around theinsulating sleeve 13 and between the insulating washer 24 and theclamping nut 25 to provide a bearing surface for the nut 25 and preventdamage to the insulating washer when the nut 25 is tightened. Theannular width of the washer 26 is approximately the same as theinsulating washer 13 to insure an evenly distributed compression on thewasher.

The end 14 of metal rod 12 which enters the transformer is electricallyconnected to a conductor 27 by a metal sleeve 28, such as of copper,preferably by crimping as at 29. At the outer side of the transformer ametal socket member 30 is provided as a means to make the electricalconnection between the conductor 27 within the transformer and anexternal service cable 31, which service cable may be either a leaded ornon-leaded type. The socket member 30 may be made of a bronze alloyhaving longitudinally drilled apertures 32 and 33 extended from oppositeends and separated by an integral intermediate wall 34. The aperture 32snugly receives the end 15 of the rod 12 which is secured therein,preferably by brazing. The inner end of the socket snugly abuts the endof the insulating sleeve 13 as at 35. The wall of aperture 33 is taperedand has a length sufficient to accommodate a compression nut assembly 36for mechanically and electrically detachably securing the service cable31 thereto. The compression nut assembly 36 comprises a compression conesleeve 37, longitudinally bored at 38 to receive the service cable 31.The cone sleeve 37 is longitudinally partially slotted from both ends toform a plurality of resilient fingers 39 peripherally spaced, andintegrally connected together by a rim portion 39a of the sleeve. Theouter surfaces of the fingers 39 are tapered to conform to the taperedwall of the recess 33, which wall acts as a bearing surface to wedge thefingers 39 into engagement with the cable 31. The bored surface 38 ofthe fingers 39 may be serrated to provide a good gripping surface. Thesize and dimensions of the clamping sleeve 37 will vary in accordancewith the size of the cable to be accommodated. The socket member 30 isinternally threaded at 40 to receive a clamping nut 41 longitudinallybored and freely positioned over the cable 31. The inner end of nut 41is provided with a bevelled bearing surface 42 adapted to slidablyengage a corresponding surface 43 on the rim 39a of the clamping sleeve37. The nut 41, when tightened, forces the fingers 39 inwardly againstthe tapered wall 39 to clamp the cable 31 radially. The socket member 30is provided with wrench engaging surfaces 44 to facilitate tightening ofthe clamping nut 41.

Where a permanent connection is desired between the socket member 30 andthe service cable 31, the socket member may be constructed of amalleable metal similar to sleeve 28 to permit crimping the socketmember to the cable. To complete the installation, the end of theconnector outside of the casing wall 11, to the right as illustrated inthe drawing, may be taped, not shown, to seal the external cable joint.

By my invention I have provided a connector that can function as a meansto seal a closed container, such as a submersible transformer, as wellas to provide an electrical connection between the transformer and thecircuit with which it is to be used. My novel connector can be installedat the factory, eliminating the prior practice of providing a temporaryseal for the transformer which wasbroken during installation,necessitating a retesting of the transformer. In addition byelectrically joining the connector internally within the transformer atthe factory, a simplification of the installation in the field isachieved. With my connector a non-leaded or lead-covered cable may beused for I provide a sealing means independent of the. type of cablethat is utilized. By providing a centrally positioned conducting rod inmy connector, I can join the connector to the respective cables byindenting or by a cone shaped clamping assembly, or any other suitablemeans. Where I provide a detachable clamping means the circuit may bechanged without affecting the connection Within the transformer.

I have thus described my invention, but I desire it understood that itis not confined to the particular forms or uses shown and described, thesame being merely illustrative, and that the invention may be carriedout in other ways without departing from the spirit of my invention,and, therefore, I claim broadly the right to employ all equivalentinstrumentalities coming within the scope of the appended claim, and bymeans of which, objects of my invention are attained and new resultsaccomplished, as it is obvious that the particular embodiments hereinshown and described are only some of the many that can be employed toattain these objects and accomplish these results.

I claim:

An electrical connector for joining an outside conductor through anapertured container wall to an inside conductor comprising a rigidelement of conducting material adapted to extend through the containerwall; a nonconducting sleeve concentrically positioned about saidconducting element and sealed thereto; a collar having an opening topermit said collar to be concentrically positioned about said sleeve,and adapted to be mounted and sealed to said container wall through theaperture therein; said conducting element having free ends extendinglongitudinally beyond the sleeve and provided with sockets On both sidesof the container wall for inserting conductors therein; means forsecuring the conductors to said sockets; said collar having a threadedbore and a circular seat in said bore; a resilient apertured cylindricalmember positioned in said seat; an apertured flat metal washerpositioned over said resilient member; and a clamping nut having acentral bore and an externally threaded end terminating in a bearingsurface for engaging against the flat metal washer; the opening in saidcollar, resilient member, washer and clamping nut having a diametersufiicient to freely accommodate the sleeve; said resilient member beingsealed to said collar on one face and to said sleeve throughout thelength of said aperture when the clamping nut is suitably tightened, tocompletely seal the sleeve to said container wall when the collar isinstalled thereon, said conducting element, one of said sockets, andsleeve being smaller in diameter than the opening in the collar topermit said parts to be moved therethrough.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS514,304 Clift Feb. 6, 1894 1,049,404 Sakai Jan. 7, 1913 1,426,337 SperryAug. 15, 1922 1,699,744 Marbury Jan. 22, 1929 1,829,764 Sloane Nov. 3,1931 1,844,409 Rypinski Feb. 9, 1932 2,170,393 Tornblom Aug. 22, 19392,264,816 Treanor Dec. 2, 1941 2,276,969 Heinichen Mar. 17, 19422,441,457 Treanor May 11, 1948 FOREIGN PATENTS 77,584 Sweden Feb, 17,1932 813,730 France Mar. 1, 1937 507,007 Great Britain June 7, 1939

